Method of covering roads with reenforced concrete



June 1929- J. M. LANCETTE METHOD OF COVERING ROADS WITH REENFORCEDCONCRETE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14, 1924 J1me 1929- c. J. M.LANCETTE METHOD OF COVERING ROADS WITI 'I REENFbRCED CONCRETE l 7 FiledFem-14,1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 's-zr 75-2, flarz e lanoeZ/r June 4,1929. c, J, LANCETTE 1,715,766

METHOD OF COVERING ROADS WITH REENFORGED CONCRETE 14, 1924 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb MM ATM/{NEH Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,715,766 PATENT OFFICE;

CESAR JEAN MARIE LANCETTE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

METHOD OF COVERING ROADS WITH REENFORCED CONCRETE.

Application filed February l l, 1924, Serial No. 692,819, and in FranceIt'ovember 14, 1923.

This invention relates to a method of covering roads with reenforcedconcrete, by us ing elements moulded beforehand and put in place andassembled in situ in accordance with the following description.

In order to make the description clearer, a practical method of carryingout the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings.

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a stretch of road prepared for thelaying down of the previously moulded elements.

Figure 2 shows one of the concrete blocks used in such preparation.

Figure 3 is a section on the line A-B of Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows another of these blocks.

Figure 5 is a cross-section of the road, the covering of which has beencarried out in accordance with the present invention.

Figures 6-10 are detail views showing the putting in place of thevarious elements on the road previously prepared by means of the blocksshown in Figures 2%.

Figure 11 is a plan showing the method of assembling together twoconsecutive elements by means of pins passing through the projectingparts of their reenforcing rods.

Figure 12 is a corresponding perspective view, and

Figure 13 is a section on the line CD of Figure 11.

The elements utilized for the covering according to the invention aremade of reenforced concretemoulded in advance at the works, in the formof large slabs, with or without ribs according to the strength to beobtained. These I slabs are. moulded by pouring cement on a fabric ofround steel rods for instance, of suitable dimensions according to thestrength desired. This moulding is done in the same way and in the sameconditions as in the manufacture of building elements described in myprior U. S. Patent No. 1,456,806 granted May 29, 1923. v I

The concrete is spread and rammed in the moulds by power or by hand; andiiithe visible face intended to constitute the upper surface of theroad, is incorporated carborundum or other suitable hard substance, theoperation being completed by smoothing the said face.

Certain portions of the reenforcement project from the sides of theslabs and are made in the form of eyes and hooks so that the assemblingtogether of the various slabs may be done when they are put in place.

The preliminary preparation of the road 1s carried out in the followingmanner: The road bed, either excavated or banked up, is first rolled soas to obtain the desired reaction of the ground (for instance 0,5 to 3kg. per square centimeter).

At the axis of intersection of the various slabs which are to form thecovering, are then placed reenforced concrete blocks 1 and 2 (see Figure1).which. are intended to be used both as marks for laying the slabs,and as foundations for the said slabs.

These blocks are of two kinds. The blocks 1 which are laid at the edgesof the road and intended to receive the lateral slabs of the covering,have the shape shown in Figures 2 and 3. The blocks 2 which are placedin the middle of the road, at the unction of the variousslabs, aresimply fiat and smaller (Figure 4).

These various blocks are laid in the ground 12 as indicated in Figure13, and a layer of earth aggregate or sand 11 is thereupon placedbetween them so' that the level of the said layer shall project to acertain amount (five millimeters or less) above the upper level of theblocks which are intended to form marks. and to be used for levellingthesubsoil for the laying of the covering slabs and also to support thelatter while they are being tipped or turned over during laying as willbe hereinafter explained.

The road having been thus prepared, the laying down of theslabs whichhave been brought to the roadside, is proceeded with. These slabs are oftwo kinds. In fact for covering the width of the stretch of the roadcomprised say between the lines aa and 6-45 (Figure 1) two lateral slabs3 are utilized between which are placed a number of intermediate slabs4; (to the number of two in the example illustrated The slabs 8 areprovided, as shown in Figures 6, 8 and9, with a kind of heel T intendedto form the gutter of the road; the slabs 4 are simple flat slabs orflags (Figure 8).

First of all, one of the slabs 3 is placed at the edge of the road. Thesaid slab, being held by means of a hoisting apparatus (in View of itsweight which may be 1200 to 1800 kg), equipped with a swinging barprovided With spring-controlled hooks which engage with the eyes 6projecting from the reenforcements embedded in the slab, restsvertically on the plates 1.

By manipulating the hoisting apparatus, the said slab will be tipped orturned down (Figure 6) so as to bring it into its final position 3 inwhich it rests, as will be seen, on the blocks 1 and 2, its heel Tengaging with the offset of each block 1.

The first slab 3 having been put in place, the next slab l is laid in asimilar manner, the said slab being supported by the swinging bar of thehoisting apparatus, and is connected, by means of pins passing throughthe projecting eyes 6, to the slab 3 already aid. The slab t is tippedinto the position l as shown in Figure 8.

The various successive slabs 4: are laid down in the same manner, thenthe other edge or end slab 3 is laid in the manner shown in Figure 10.For that purpose its heel is provided with the projecting fittings 5, bymeans of which it can be hooked (Figure 9).

The covering of the strip a-a, Z)b having been completed, the same willbe done for the next strip 6-4), 0 0, and so on, the various slabs beingconnected to each other by means of pins passing through theirprojecting fittings.

The connecting together of the projecting portions of the reenforcementsof the slabs is effected by means of pins in the manner set forth in myprior patent already referred to, but it will be preferably made bymeans of bent pins of round iron each engaging either with a single pairof eyes, or with two pairs of eyes (see Figures 11-13). In the saidfigures, the pins engaging with only one pair of eyes are marked 7 and8, and those engaging with two pairs are marked These pins are crankedor bent as already stated, and the bent portion of each pin, with itsend bent again to form a stop, is turned to the side as shown in Figures11 and 12, after the pins have been introduced.

The covering is then completed by connecting and sealing together allthese *arious slabs, the sealing being effected by pour ing concrete 10between the joints which fills the projecting hooking portions of thereenforcements.

It is advisable to provide at intervals (for instance about every 35meters) an expansion joint extending throughout the whole width of theroad, the said joint being about 0,02 to 0,03 In wide. The slabs at thesaid joint are stopped by an iron bar having its edge level with theupper surface of the slabs, said bar being fixed during the moulding inthe thickness of the slabs by means of scaled lugs.

This joint is thereupon filled up by pouring in a molten mixture ofasphalt and pitch or other similar substances.

Obviously, the described method of carrying out the invention has beengiven by Way of example and any constructive modification may be madewithout departing from the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1* 1. A method of paving roads with large, elongatedrectangular paving slabs, comprising the steps of embedding concretesupporting blocks in the surface of the road bed at such points as tounderlie adjacent slabs, when the same are laid, exclusively at theirmeeting corners; laying the slabs side by side lengthwise of the road soas to rest at their said corners directly on said blocks while producingrelatively-wide joints between the contiguous edges of the slabs for theentire length of the latter, said joints extending uninterruptedlyaround the slabs; and continuously sealing such joints by pouringconcrete thereinto, whereby the concrete, on setting, will form acontinuous network of interconnected longitudinal and transverse ribs orbeams of substantial width and of the same height as the slabs unitedwith said slabs to form a monolithic structure.

2. A roadway, having a monolithic con crete pavement comprising large,elongated rectangular paving slabs laid side by side lengthwise of theroad withthcir edges contiguous so as to pr duce relatively-wide jointsbetween said edges for the entire height of the slabsgsaid jointsextending uninterruptedly around the slabs; concrete supporting blocksembedded in the surface of the road bed atsuch points so as to underlieadjacent slabs exclusively at tlieir'meeting corners and whereon thesame directly rest; and a grouting of concrete filling said joints andconstituting a continuous network of interconnected longitudinal andtransverse ribs or beams of substantial width and of the same height asthe slabs united with said slabs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

onsAR JEAN MARIE LANCETTE.

